Interruptions Reveal Our Rhythm
Have you ever noticed how quickly we write the story of our day?
We know where we're going.
We know what's supposed to happen.
We have a picture in our minds of how the day—or the evening—is going to unfold.
And then...
Life has other plans. I think we've all been there.
A meeting runs late.
A flight gets delayed.
The phone rings with unexpected news.
The plans we've been looking forward to suddenly change.
It's a reminder that while we can make plans, we can't always control what happens next.
That happened to us this weekend.
We had spent the evening prior seeing our Aussie friends, the Hindley Street Country Club, in Beverly, followed by a wonderful day exploring Rockport with friends. As we were driving home, tired in the best possible way, replaying their music, laughing about our adventure, looking forward to sleeping in our own bed...
...our van decided it wasn't quite ready to head home.
Instead of pulling into our driveway, we found ourselves on the side of the MA Pike waiting for a tow truck. When it finally arrived, we learned it wasn't equipped to tow our van. We'd have to wait all over again for a larger tow truck.
Definitely not the ending we had planned.
After a few post updates, and an image of us sitting inside the coach watching television while we waited for the second tow truck, a friend wrote,
"That's true calmness right there."
That comment made me pause.
Not because I thought I had handled everything perfectly. Believe me, I would have much preferred to be home. But she made me realize something I hadn't thought about until that moment. Years ago, I'm not sure that's what people would have seen.
Not because I was a different person. But because I had practiced a different rhythm. That realization followed me home. Maybe interruptions don't create our rhythm.
Maybe they reveal it.
When life catches us off guard, we rarely become someone new in that moment. We simply return to what we've been practicing.
If we've practiced rushing, we rush.
If we've practiced worrying, we worry.
If we've practiced assuming the worst, that's often where our minds go first.
But if we've practiced pausing...
Breathing...
Accepting what we cannot change before deciding what to do next...
That rhythm has a way of showing up, too.
As we begin a new month, I've been thinking about the word rhythm.
Not routines. Rhythms. Because I think there's a difference.
A routine depends on everything happening according to plan. A rhythm is something you can return to, even when the plan falls apart. The goal has never been to create a life without interruptions.
That's impossible.
Plans change.
Vehicles break down.
People disappoint us.
Unexpected phone calls come.
Life will always have other plans.
The question isn't whether interruptions will happen.
The question is: What rhythm will they reveal?
There's one moment from that evening I keep coming back to. We couldn't change the situation. The van wasn't suddenly going to fix itself because we were frustrated. The tow truck wasn't going to arrive any faster because we were impatient.
But we could choose the atmosphere inside the coach.
We could choose whether those hours were filled with frustration or conversation. Whether we focused on what had gone wrong... or simply accepted what was true and made the best of it. That didn't mean pretending everything was wonderful. It didn't mean we weren't disappointed. It simply meant we weren't going to let the interruption decide the atmosphere inside the coach while we waited.
Isn't that true in so many areas of life?
We may not be able to choose every circumstance we face. But we can often choose the atmosphere we create within it.
Sometimes, that changes everything. So this week, if life has other plans...
If your carefully organized schedule suddenly changes... If an unexpected interruption catches you by surprise...
Before asking,
"How do I get everything back on track?"
Pause long enough to ask a different question.
"What rhythm am I practicing right now?"
Because interruptions don't create our rhythm. They reveal the rhythm we've been practicing all along. And every ordinary day gives us another opportunity to practice the kind of rhythm we hope will show up when life has other plans.
Until next time...
Grant yourself a little grace.
Trust yourself a little more.
And take one intentional step.
Be well,
Mary-Anne
